I Love You, Too: Bet You My Heart
by PenPrincess
Summary: After her heart is broken, Selphie makes a bet with Zell and Quistis. A small mistake makes her wonder if she wants to win or lose.(Part I of a trilogy)
1. Prologue - EVIDENCE

**Bet You My Heart**

written by: KawaiiKaoru

rating: PG-13

summary: After her heart is broken, Selphie makes a bet with Zell and Quistis. A small mistake makes her wonder if she wants to win or lose.

-== ** Prologue: EVIDENCE ** ==-

-- Selphie's Online Diary --

// **Tuesday** //

Hey guys! Whatsup? Not much has been going on lately...I've started work on the next Garden Festival. I'm having a bit of trouble finding volunteers so I figured I'd post an ad here!

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO WORK ON THE GARDEN FESTIVAL, PLEASE CONTACT SELPHIE TILMITT! Dorm #184A

Current Members:  
Selphie Tilmitt(active)  
Squall Leonhart(VERY inactive)

ANYWAY - I was supposed to go on a date with Irvy yesterday, but he STOOD ME UP! It's OK though, he got caught fighting a T-Rexaur over in the woods next door to Garden! He's so _brave_! That's why I love him. He promised to make it up to me tonight! I'll fill you in on the details later! Got to go get ready!

Booyaka!

--**Comments:**--

**Lion_SL :** Sorry Selphie, been busy. 

// **Wednesday** //

I know I promised I'd fill you in on the details of my date with Irvine, but it didn't happen after all! Super duper mega bummer! But he had SO much homework, I couldn't possibly bother him. Quisty assigned him a _whole_ paper to write on Shiva's chemical advantage over Ifrit's yadda yadda yadda...And then Professor Olan gave him twenty-seven battle tactics questions. ALL ESSAY! That's crazy, right? My poor Irvy, he's trying so hard to get ready for the upcoming SeeD exam! We're going to take a trip to Balamb on Thursday! I'm so excited, I'll tell you about that instead!

Booyaka!

--**Comments**:--

**SaveTheQueen:**I gave him a paragraph to write, not a whole paper. He's so good at embellishing, you would think he'd be a better writer.  
**Penelope03:** What an idiot Irvine is- We didn't have any homework in Olan's class! I can't believe he did 27 BT essay questions for no reason. He's gonna feel stupid...  
**SuperDuperMegaHyperST:** That's my boyfriend you guys are talking about!! MEANIES!

// **Thursday** //

No trip to Balamb! :( Super duper mega bummer! Irvy has to train. He's been working so hard, I'm definitely not going to distract him and break his stride. Gosh, he's trying so hard to impress me. I bet he'll get a REALLY high SeeD rank because he's training so much! I hope he does, because no one deserves it more than my Irvy! You know what he said to me yesterday? He told me that he was matching up the stars with something he loved about me. He told me that things were going good until- get this- he ran out of stars! Isn't that just the sweetest thing? I'm really lucky. Oh yeah, I almost forgot---

!!!IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO WORK ON THE UPCOMING GARDEN FESTIVAL, PLEASE CONTACT SELPHIE TILMITT!!!  
Dorm #184A

I really need volunteers. SQUALL! YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, MISTER!

Booyaka!

--**Comments:**--

**Lion_SL :** Sorry.  
**Anonymous:** Pshhh! Irvine's fed ME that line before!  
**SuperDuperMegaHyperST:** Whatever! Some people are so MEAN! Always trying to burst another's bubble. SQUALLYou so have not been busy! I asked Rinoa myself! She said you had SPARE TIME!

-- ** --

-- Squall's Datebook --

// **Tuesday** //

1:00PM Lunch with Rinoa Canceled || Train instead

// **Wednesday** //

6:00PM Dinner with Rinoa Canceled || Train instead

7:00PMTrain with Irvine Canceled || Train alone instead

// **Thursday** //

NOON Lunch with Rinoa Canceled || Work on Garden Festiv Train instead

TO DO:

1] Find time for another date with Rinoa. She's been cancelling a lot, so make sure you get a good time for her.

2] Find time to work on Garden Festival...no matter HOW badly you don't want to...

3] Stop writing notes to yourself.

== END PROLOGUE ==

What do you think? Please tell me.


	2. Chapter 1 - CAPTURE

**Bet You My Heart**

written by: KawaiiKaoru

rating: PG-13

summary: After her heart is broken, Selphie makes a bet with Zell and Quistis. A small mistake makes her wonder if she wants to win or lose.

Thanks for reviewing! -snicker- Yes, this is going to be a Squall/Selphie. Mad Childe Dru >> Seifer will definately play a part in this story. He's my favorite character! What kind of FF8 author would I be to leave him out?

-== ** Chapter 1: CAPTURE ** ==-

Squall walked calmly down the halls of Balamb Garden. He was searching around for Rinoa. He hadn't seen her much lately, and he wanted to know if _tomorrow_, or maybe the day after was better for a date. Sudden things in Timber or with her father had been popping up a lot recently. Rinoa had to cancel three of their dates. Squall missed her. Rinoa was so great for him...

He vaguely remembered the days before the second Sorceress war, when he was afraid of emotions. Then, he considered them a hindrance- like a very bad itch that you can't scratch. They were a thorn in his side. But when Rinoa came, he suddenly had a whole new respect for the tingly feeling he got in his stomach when he was near her. He dare not let it show, but he was enjoying being in love. Rinoa was so utterly sweet and just beautiful. She allowed him to open up, and he couldn't thank her more for that.

Shwoooom! Slam!

A yellowish blur rushed out of a classroom and smack into the wall. It stopped itself and whizzed by Squall, paying him no mind.

_Selphie_.

He continued walking down the halls, fingertips tapping his sides gently. Rinoa's dorm- #183A, just across. Squall examined the brass numbers and letters a moment before knocking. There was a slight scuffle, and suddenly the door swung open. A raven-haired girl decked in black shorts, a black shirt and a blue duster pounced on him and gave him a big hug. She pulled away just enough so that she could look at him.

"Hey!" she greeted cheerily.

"Rinoa. How was Timber? Did Nida get you-"

"Timber was beautiful, Nida treated me well and I'm _fine_. You worry too much about me."

"..." Squall scowled.

Rinoa sighed, "There you go again. You're so moody." She gave him a light kiss on the nose. "I love you."

The sincere look in her eye and the three words forced a smile on Squall's face. Rinoa smiled, too.

_There's that smile again...Her eyes smile._

"I love you, too."

"Zone and Watts send their regards," Rinoa said, letting go of Squall's waist, "They said to tell you that you're doing a great job."

Squall asked, "...of what?"

"Of taking care of me," Rinoa laughed. She closed the door to her dorm and continued, "Let's go get something to eat."

Squall nodded, suggesting, "Hotdogs? The cafeteria is probably empty around this time."

"Sure. Let's go!"

-- ** --

Selphie ran up to the 2F Classroom, zooming by Squall on the way, and sat down at the study panel. She opened up her webpage editor and checked for any Comments. Camara, a student in one of her classes, said that someone left a Comment about joining the Garden Festival Committee. Of course, Selphie bolted to check her Comments.

**Checking.  
Checking..  
Checking...  
Checking....**

**[One(1) new comment] Read?**

**Anonymous:** You're so naive. Irvine's such a player, and you can't even see it!

Selphie's jaw dropped, and anger bubbled up inside of her. She began typing a furious reply. After a minute of speedy typing, Selphie looked up, quite pleased with her lengthy reply. A small frown crossed her normally smiling face and she erased the reply. It wasn't in her to be so rude._ But how _dare_ this person try to break Irvine and I up? I knew he would be wanted, but that's so terrible! People these days..._

She settled on this:

**SuperDuperMegaHyperST:** You smell funny. You wanna say something to me, say it to my face! Booyaka! :P

She planted her chin in her hand and her elbow fell onto the desk. Sighing, Selphie clicked off the computer. Irvine hadn't been around too much lately. He'd been training so hard...She really wished he would take just a moment's time to spend with her. Though she wouldn't let it show, Selphie really missed Irvine and it was making her sad. 

Selphie thought it was funny that some people assumed being cheery all the time was just a 'mask' of hers. Nope, Selphie was just a truly happy person. She took life one step at a time and always managed to see the brighter side. Still, with Irvine being gone so often- let's just say she was finding small breaks in her eternal happiness here and there. She and Irvine were so close now, their childhood bond had not faded one bit, it only grew.

She smiled as the image of Irvine in a SeeD uniform flashed in her head. Selphie hopped off her seat and decided to go search for volunteers. The Garden Festival was quite a way off, but it was good to be prepared ahead of time.

The sliding door buzzed open before Selphie got to it, and the elegant form of Quistis entered the room. Quistis greeted Selphie with a quick hug and a warm smile.

"Selphie, I was just looking for you," Quistis claimed, "New mission. Nothing big."

"Really? Finally! Some excitement! Woo-hoo!" Selphie exclaimed, fist shooting into the air.

Quistis sighed, "I hardly think you'll find it exciting. We're just taking a few files to Dollet. Supposedly top secret, but I bet it's just a few student information files."

"Bummer. Just me?" Selphie questioned.

Quistis shook her head. "Nope. I'll be going with you. Squall and Zell, too."

"Hey, awesome! But why so many for such a small mission?"

The blonde shrugged. "No earthly idea. Cid says the files are _really_ important. I still think-"

Just then, the door slid open and Zell entered with Squall. Squall was holding a thick file, looking a bit ticked.

"Hey guys!" Selphie greeted with a wave.

Zell flashed her that big smile and Squall merely nodded. Selphie rolled her eyes at Squall's coldness. Squall gestured for them to get going, and the group left the classroom.

"Gee, do you have a hot date or something?" Selphie teased.

Squall offered a rare smile, replying, "Yeah."

"_Oh_. Rinoa's back?" Quistis asked as they walked into the elevator. Squall nodded and pressed the first floor button.

Zell shadow boxed. "Man, this sucks. They've been sending us on the lamest missions! What's this- deliver secret files to the Dollet Dukedom? It's a job for lower ranked SeeDs! Not _us_!"

"What are you afraid of, _Chicken-wuss?_" Selphie poked Zell in the ribs.

Zell scowled. "Hey! For the last time: don't call me that! And I'm not _afraid_, I'm just _bored_."

The elevator doors pulled apart, and Squall led them to the training center. They hopped into the crowded transport vehicle. Zell sniffed.

"Smells like soggy bread-"

"Soggy bread?" Quistis tilted her head.

"Yeah. Soggy bread!"

Selphie giggled and Quistis rolled her eyes. Squall punched a few keys on the control panel. He led them out of Garden manually, but set an Auto-Drive mechanism to Balamb. The SeeD emblem blinked on the panel, and buzzed a few times. They rode for a good twenty minutes when the image of Xu appeared on the screen. No one was paying attention to the monitor, so she cleared her voice very loudly.

"I told you already, soggy bread doesn't smell- Xu!" Quistis exclaimed when she noticed Xu's face on the panel.

"Working hard?" Xu teased.

Zell rolled his eyes. "Please. This mission sucks."

"Then I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that you can return to Garden."

"What?" Squall asked.

Xu replied, "Come back. We've got other SeeDs to do the job."

"We're halfway to Balamb, Xu. Why go back now?" Quistis questioned.

"Because your rank is too high! It'll cost us less if we send lower ranked SeeDs."

"Then _why_ didn't you send lower ranked SeeDs in the first place?" Zell asked, frustrated.

"There weren't any. Six just returned from a mission. Get back here, that's an order!" Xu's face disappeared and was replaced by the SeeD emblem. Squall punched a few keys and turned the car around. They began riding back to Garden.

"We're not getting paid for this then, huh?" Selphie asked.

Squall sighed as he shook his head.

-- ** --

A slightly angry Squall walked down the steps of the elevator. He had just returned the files to Cid, who in turn gave them to six rookie SeeDs. He couldn't _believe_ that they called him back from a mission because they didn't want to pay him the money for it. It was insane. He had to miss lunch with Rinoa because of the damn mission...From behind, someone leapt on him, nearly causing him to fall over.

"Hey!" Selphie shouted in his ear, "Wanna train? I'll go easy on you, promise."

"..."

"Don't be a party pooper. Come on. I know you were going to go train _anyway_, so I'll accompany you. How about it?"

He knew she wouldn't let up if he declined. So he nodded his head, but curtly asked Selphie to get off of him.

"I've got to stop by my room and pick up my nunchakus. I didn't think I should take them on the mission, since the transport is so cramped. Had plenty of GFs to make up for it, though!" Selphie exclaimed, tugging him in the direction of her dorm. She picked up her pace, practically dragging Squall through the halls.

-- ** --

"I'll be just a minute," Selphie promised as she walked into her dorm. Squall looked up and down the empty hall, and then at Rinoa's dorm just across from Selphie's. He considered knocking, but decided against it. He figured Rinoa would be at lunch anyway.

There was a giggle, and Squall wondered what Selphie could be doing that was making her laugh. There was another giggle, and then another. Coming from Rinoa's room. She was there! The melodic sound of her laugh swept away any doubts and Squall knocked firmly on the door.

"Just a minute!" her voice called, still filled with mirth. Scuffles could be heard.

The electric door slid open to reveal a black haired woman in a white robe pinned against the wall by a tall man in boxers and a cowboy hat. They were _kissing_. With their _tongues_. Nope, this certainly wasn't a friendly kiss. Squall stood frozen, staring at the scene before him. Dozens of scattered thoughts traveled through his mind. What was merely a moment seemed like an eternity to Squall, as he watched Rinoa kiss an oh-too-familiar cowboy. A whisper from behind him brought him back to his senses.

"Oh my gosh..." Selphie whispered. Squall half turned, and watched Selphie's weapon fall to the ground with a loud clang. She was standing in the doorway, eyes on Irvine and Rinoa in the opposite doorway. The noise startled the kissing couple, and they realized who their audience was. Irvine grabbed his cowboy hat.

"Oh- shit! Selphie, it's not- I was-"

"You were _what_, Irvine?!" Selphie shouted suddenly. Rinoa paled, and she ran further into her dorm, presumably to get dressed. Selphie continued yelling at Irvine, paying no mind to Rinoa or Squall. "You were going to _tell me_? When? On our date on Tuesday? At Balamb yesterday? Oh- wait! You were too busy for either of those. Oooooooh.....!" Squall had never seen Selphie so...so _angry_. The only time she had ever vaguely looked this way was when she found out that Trabia Garden was to be bombed. And even then, she didn't look like she was about to burst like she did now. Squall stepped back, almost positive that Selphie would blow.

Selphie dropped her arms, and the anger was gone away from her face. She looked down at the floor.

"Sefie, I-"

"Don't call me that, Irvine," Selphie said, a blank expression on her face. "Just...just don't call me that."

Rinoa re-entered the frame of the doorway. She looked at Squall, eyes pleading for him to say something. Selphie looked at Rinoa for a moment. She sighed, knelt down to pick up her nunchakus, and then she left. Irvine cursed and disappeared into Rinoa's dorm. Rinoa walked out and reached for Squall. He took a step back.

"No," he said flatly, "No."

Those two words made Rinoa understand that she would not be forgiven easily. She looked to the ground. Her eyes still transfixed on the tile, Rinoa explained, "Squall...I wish you could understand that it's not...it's not as _slutty_ as it looks. There's more to the story, if you'll only listen-"

"I don't think I need to hear anymore." Squall opened his mouth, but decided against speaking. He waved his hand in dismissal and walked slowly down the hall. He took one look back. Rinoa was standing there, looking whiter than he had ever seen her. She looked to her dorm, and back to him. She walked slowly back into her room, and the door buzzed shut.

== END CHAPTER 1: CAPTURE ==

Oh hey, I think this is going to be a trilogy. I don't want to portray Rinoa or Irvine as bad, because they _aren't_ bad. I meant to have this chapter out with the prologue, but I didn't write it fast enough, and I didn't want to rush it either. I WAS going to elaborate on the suspicions but I decided not to, since the story is supposed to be based on Selphie's bet. PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 2 - GAMBLE

**I Love You, Too: Bet You My Heart**

written by: KawaiiKaoru

rating: PG-13

summary: After her heart is broken, Selphie makes a bet with Zell and Quistis. A small mistake makes her wonder if she wants to win or lose.

Vick330 Happy to inform you that YES, there is an explanation to Rinoa's behavior and NO, this won't bash Rinoa. Rinoa bashers get on my nerves. Squall might lash out once or twice, but I think that's somewhat understandable.

-== ** Chapter 2: GAMBLE ** ==-

Selphie was drawing a picture of a woman she found in a magazine. The woman was very pretty- petite, black-haired and pale. She reminded her a lot of Rinoa. Selphie sighed as she thought some about what just happened. It was really, really sad.

She loved Irvine. _Really_. And she took love very seriously. But Irvine had betrayed her.

Her eyes welled with tears. Selphie blinked them back as she sketched the left eyebrow of the girl. She wondered what Rinoa had that she didn't. Why had Irvine gone to _Rinoa_? Was he really a player like that 'Anonymous' said he was? Selphie sniffed.

Truthfully, Selphie _wasn't_ happy about Irvine cheating on her. Only a crazy person would be! But why _sulk_ about it? She decided the moment she walked out of that hallway that she wasn't going to let Irvine break her stride. She was going to go on without him. It would be easy. Sure, she loved Irvine, but if she couldn't satisfy him, then she just _couldn't_ and she wasn't about to let that challenge her happiness. 

So even though she _wasn't_ happy, she would act like it until acting happy made her happy. It didn't make sense in Selphie's head either, but she figured it would work anyway. Time heals all wounds, right? She smiled to herself. A knock at the door caused Selphie to start. She ran to the door and answered it.

"Quisty!" Selphie greeted. Quistis embraced Selphie.

"I just heard about Rinoa and Irvine," Quistis declared.

Selphie sighed, "News gets around fast. Is that really the only thing people have to talk about around here?"

Quistis nodded with a smile. "So...you're not going to let it get to you, right?"

"You know me. Of course not! Irvine was a player anyway...Do you want to go to Balamb with me tomorrow? It would be a lot of fun!" Selphie suggested.

Quistis clucked and declined, saying, "I would love to, really, but I've got some meetings with Xu and Cid. I might be getting a raise."

"That's great, Quisty! And they only gave you your license back a few days weeks ago! Sheesh! No wonder why you've got your own fan club!" Quistis blushed.

"Ha _ha_."

There was a firm knock on the door, and Selphie ran to answer the door. Zell entered the room, shaking with anger.

"Man, Selphie! I just heard about Irvine and Rinoa! I'm going to pound him-" Zell declared.

Selphie placed a hand on his arm. "Zell? It's OK. _Really_."

"No! I'm going to-"

"Zell? Shut _up!_" Quistis said. Zell sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed his arms.

"Well, _you're_ taking it well," Zell said to Selphie, "Squall was really angry. I could tell by the way he just _ignored_ me."

"Squall always ignores you," Selphie teased, "Just kidding. Hey Zell, do you want to go to Balamb with me tomorrow? See your Ma?"

Zell took a deep breath in through gritted teeth. "As much as I'd love to check in on her, I've got an exam tomorrow. If I ace it, I might get promoted a rank. I need the money. Sorry though, Selphie."

"Don't worry about it," Selphie replied, sitting in her desk chair. Quistis was leaning against the wall, looking over the two of them.

"Squall's taking it hard, huh?" Quistis asked Zell. He nodded.

"Yeah. He walked down the hall- I swear I felt a chill wind blow through the place before I saw him."

"Gee, someone really needs to get that guy to warm up. Rinoa was doing fine, but she decided to go off and mess it all up. He's too serious! He needs to learn how to have fun! And put things behind him! Like..._me!_" Selphie exclaimed, giving a wide smile to her two friends. They sighed.

"I know what you mean! Why don't you take him to Balamb tomorrow, Selphie?" Zell suggested, "That guy hasn't had anything to do for the past _week_. I see him readin' in the library _all the time_. You think he would get bored o' the place."

"He _should've_ been working on the Garden Festival with me, but _no_...Heeeeey! I have an idea!" Selphie exclaimed. There was a long pause as Quistis and Zell looked at her expectantly.

"Well..." Selphie continued finally, "Why don't I set Squall up with someone? I know a lot of people here. Girls that I _know_ wouldn't hurt him like Rinoa did. I could find his Cinderella for him!"

"Yeah. I'd like to see you try!" Zell snorted.

"Zell is right, Selphie," Quistis agreed, "Trying to set Squall up with a girl is like trying to mix oil and water."

Selphie replied thoughtfully, "So you think he needs a guy...?"

"No!" Quistis shouted, "Squall's not gay."

"It would be ok if he was!" Selphie said, obviously fascinated with the idea.

Quistis responded, "Of course it would be. But I'm saying that Squall isn't open for a relationship. I don't know how Rinoa managed it! Getting Squall hooked up with someone is impossible!"

"Wanna _bet_?" Selphie challenged, head tilting to the side.

Zell stood up off the bed. "Yeah! As a matter of fact I do!"

"Alright then, on what terms?"

"Loser has to be the winner's slave for a _year_. And I get that Force Armlet you've got locked away somewhere," Zell declared.

Selphie extended her hand. "Fine. Loser has to be the winner's slave for a year, and if I win then I get...your Ehrgeiz gloves."

Without a moment's hesitation, Zell put his hand in hers. "Deal!"

"Selphie, do you know what you just got yourself into?" Quistis asked.

Zell laughed, "Footrubs and tons of homework, that's what!" He looked at her smugly. 

Selphie replied, "Of course I know, Quistis. I get a vacation- no more homework _or_ working on the Garden Festival. I'll just leave it all to _Zell_." She snickered.

Zell snorted. He stood and stretched. "I'm going to go to the cafeteria. If I'm lucky, they'll have some hotdogs. Wanna come?"

Quistis accepted his offer, but Selphie said, "Nah. I'm going to finish my drawing." She gestured toward the picture on her desk. "Maybe I'll catch up with you when I'm finished."

When the door slid shut and she was alone again, Selphie collapsed onto her bed. She waved her arms, like she was making a snowangel. Then she rolled over and propped her chin up on her elbows. She sighed, and tears began to flow from her eyes. It was beginning to set in...

Irvine had practically told her that he didn't feel the same way about Selphie as she did about him.

Ouch.

She rolled over onto her back and wiped away a few tears sliding down her cheek. 

_I wonder what he feels like...I wonder if he feels guilty? I sort of hope not. Irvine's a good guy, he just...goes astray every once in a while. And if he happens to like Rinoa, then he happens to like Rinoa. I love him to the point that I want him to be __**happy**__. Even if it's not with me. Though I could've only hoped..._And so Selphie cried.

-----------------------------  
an hour later  
-----------------------------

Squall slashed at the Grat, bitterness fueling his moves. That unhappy twinge in his stomach inspired rage and he unleashed a limit break. The Grat was finished by the second stroke, but Squall shredded the lifeless body anyway. He stood for a moment, Lionheart still partially sheathed within the dead Grat. He took deep breaths. Finally, he lifted Lionheart out of the dead animal. Squall wiped the purplish blood on the grass and walked away from the spot.

_How could she __**do**__ this to me? She told me she loved me...I know why I never wanted to fall in love in the first place. EVERY DAMN TIME!_ He swung Lionheart with such a force that it flew out of his hand and landed in the trunk of a nearby palm tree. He stared at it for a while. He heard footsteps coming toward him. Squall spun around, and there she was.

Rinoa...

Squall's hand rose to his forehead, he closed his eyes and he fingered his scar for a second. When he reopened his eyes, Selphie was standing there, nunchakus in hand, looking up at him expectantly. His eyes flitted behind her, searching for Rinoa. Selphie snapped to get his attention.

"What was that?" Selphie asked, looking behind her.

"What was what?"

"That. You were looking behind me. No one there. Are you seeing things?" Selphie teased. He was amazed at how _normal_ she was acting. _She just...stuck it behind her, huh? I guess that's what's great about Selphie. She always manages to see the brighter side of things. But _is_ there a brighter side?_

"Hey, I was just kidding!" Selphie said in response to Squall's silence. Squall looked down at her, and noticed that her eyes were a bit red and slightly puffy. She had been crying. Selphie. Crying? It seemed unimaginable...

"You cried?" Squall asked. He hadn't meant to, the words just came out.

Selphie rolled her eyes. She studied at him for a second, then said, "Of course I cried, you big dope." For that fleeting instant, Squall saw the serious and womanly side of Selphie. She was beautiful. "So are you gonna train with me or what? I'm ready to kick some Grat butt! If we're lucky, we'll come across a T-Rexuar." Oh, there it went....

"I would hardly consider that _luck_." Squall studied her face. She was smiling- _smiling_. After what just happened. It was so like her to just forget everything, and be happy. How come it was so _easy_ for her? Why couldn't he forget about it? But then, maybe Selphie was passive aggressive...? Squall almost smiled at the thought of Selphie exploding, and he remembered how she looked in the hallway when they first saw Irvine and Rinoa together.

"We could get a spell or two! Come on! Look- a Grat!" Selphie pulled his wrist and dragged him off to fight. He tried to resist, but the little brunette had hidden strength and she managed to pull him away. Squall noticed how _happy_ she looked. But how could she be happy? She couldn't be truly happy, _could she_?

"Selphie- STOP!"

She dropped his hand and looked at him expectantly. "Stop..._what?_"

"Stop pretending like it didn't happen."

Selphie stared at him. "Who are you to be telling _me_ to show emotion? And I'm not pretending like it didn't happen. Irvine cheated on me, Rinoa cheated on you, and they cheated on us with each other. There. It _happened_. Can we train now?"

"No! Why are you so happy?"

Selphie smiled. "Because there's nothing to be sad about! It's a beautiful day today!"

Squall's hand rose to finger his scar again. He began pacing back and forth. "How are you so calm, so _happy_ about all of this? Aren't you angry?!"

"Hey! Cheer up, ok? If Rinoa was with Irvine, Rinoa was with Irvine. There's nothing we can do about it, because, like you said, it happened. Why be sulky about it? Smile for me, will ya?" Squall glared. He shook his head and left the Training Center, mumbling something about not understanding girls. Selphie frowned for a moment, but a smile graced her face again and she set off to train. 

Selphie walked a step or two, and then she noticed something odd and shiny sticking out of a palm tree. As she got closer, she recognized Squall's Lionheart gunblade. With some effort, she pulled it out of the trunk. She fell on her tush and nearly cut her foot off, but she picked herself up and lifted the gunblade over her shoulder.

"Whoo...heavy!"

-- ** --

Selphie rubbed her stomach, and her face contorted in near disgust as she watched Zell scarf down a pile of hotdogs. It was..._gross_. One after the other, almost swallowing them hole. She followed a large lump down his throat.

"He's been at this for over an hour?" Selphie asked. Quistis nodded, grimacing. "Gosh Zell, do you ever have trouble digesting those things? You're a bottomless pit, I swear!"

Zell stopped, for a minute, and took a deep breath. "Yeah. I know." Then he continued eating. Quistis shoved her plate of hotdogs in Zell's direction. She had obviously lost her appetite. Selphie turned to Quistis.

"How much of a raise do you think you'll get?" Selphie asked, taking drink of her raspberry lemonade.

"I'm not sure. I might not get a raise at all-"

"Selphie, can I talk to you for a minute?" a familiar voice said. Quistis watch Selphie stiffen, then relax. Quistis turned her blonde head. Behind her was Irvine, looking like he just kicked a puppy.

The brunette gave Irvine a smile. "Of course." Quistis admired her determination to act normal. Selphie hopped off her chair, giving Quistis a very warm smile. She followed the tall man decked in leather outside of the cafeteria. He stopped and turned around.

"Selphie, about earlier-"

"Look, Irvine," Selphie interjected. Her smile had not faded. "You don't need to explain. I totally understand."

"You do?" Irvine asked, not hiding his surprise.

"Yes. You...don't love me like you said you did-"

"Hey, now-"

"...instead you love Rinoa, which is perfectly understandable. She's pretty, and she's got a great personality. I'm sure you and Rinoa will be happy! Don't worry about me! I'm doing fine without you, see?" she said honestly. She smiled and did her little 'dance' for him. Selphie gave Irvine a pat on the arm. "So stop worrying, ok?"

Irvine took off his hat and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, ok then. Uh...ok...so I'll let you get back to your lunch." Irvine walked away, still looking awful dejected and a bit confused. Selphie couldn't supress a giggle. _Ha! I could __**so**__ be a heartbreaker!_ Though as she watched Irvine walk away from her, a frown stopped her giggle and she sighed. It was going to be boring without someone to wreak havoc with. It was just going to be boring without _him_....She patted the curl in her hair and walked back into the cafeteria, somewhat of a bounce in her step.

"Things go well?" Quistis asked.

Selphie took a look at Zell before answering. He was leaning back in his chair, looking sick. "As well as can be expected. Zell...are you ok?"

Zell inhaled through his nose, and replied, "Yeah. Just a bit, er, stuffed." He groaned loudly.

-- ** --

Selphie was drawing another picture of the same woman in a different pose. The magazine was littered with pictures of the pretty model that looked like Rinoa. She smiled at the coincidence. A hard knock sounded on the door. Selphie could tell the knocker was angry. She slid on her rolling chair to the door and pressed a button. She looked up into the worried face of Squall Leonhart.

"Selphie, my gunblade. It was at the Training Center when we talked-"

"I've got it!" Selphie replied, "Just a second." She rolled her chair back to her desk and hopped out of it. She went to her closet and slid open the door, revealing a shiny gunblade. She dragged it out. The sharp edge made a terrible noise against the tile. With all her might, Selphie lifted up the gunblade. She turned around and bumped into the wall of Squall's chest. She started.

"Whoa! Hey, don't scare me like that!" Selphie exclaimed. She gave him his gunblade.

Squall gave her an expectant look.

"Oh! You left the Training Center, and I found your gunblade. I looked all over for you, but I couldn't find you! So I stuck it my dorm while I went to go eat lunch."

Squall stood still, seemingly thinking about Selphie's explanation. He shrugged in acceptance and moved out of Selphie's way. He sat down on the edge of her bed and leaned over, elbows on his knees.

"Uh...Selphie?"

"Yes?" She took her seat on her desk chair and started drawing again.

"Sorry about...going off."

Selphie spun around. "Oh! This _has_ been a strange day...First 'The Incident' and now you're _apologizing_...I'll only accept your apology if you _smile_ for me."

Squall glared. "You're kidding?"

Selphie shook her head. He glared again, shaking his head.

"Fine. I'll just stay mad at you." Selphie shrugged.

Squall rolled his eyes and thought for a long moment. Then, he straightened himself and smiled.

It was one of those so _very_ fake smiles that doesn't reach your eyes. It didn't really look like much of a smile at all...

Selphie grinned back, then bit her lip. _Don't do it Selphie, don't do it-_

She burst out laughed. She couldn't help it. Squall crossed his arms and looked to the side. He mumbled something, grabbed Lionheart and was about to leave. Selphie grabbed his arm and calmed herself.

"Wait, Squall!" she said, "You have a very beautiful smile."

"Whatever."

"I'm _serious_. I bet the ladies would love it, so you should try doing it more often."

"Whatever."

"Is that the only word in your vocabulary?"

"No. Goodbye, Selphie."

"Hey...would you like to go to Balamb with me tomorrow?" Selphie asked, standing up and looking hopeful.

Squall started to shake his head and decline, but he closed his mouth and actually considered it.

"Please? Don't try to tell me you're too busy..."

He scratched his forehead and replied, "Sure, why not?"

"That's the spirit!" Selphie exclaimed, "I'll go get you at your dorm around...is 10 good?" Squall nodded. He left.

Selphie shot her fist into the air.

"Whoo-hoooo!"

== END CHAPTER 2: GAMBLE ==

ROAD TRIP!!!!!! J/k j/k. I hope you like it. Review!


	4. Chapter 3 - ESCAPE

**I Love You, Too: Bet You My Heart**

written by: KawaiiKaoru

rating: PG-13

summary: After her heart is broken, Selphie makes a bet with Zell and Quistis. A small mistake makes her wonder if she wants to win or lose.

-== ** Chapter 3: ESCAPE ** ==-

Selphie woke up bright and early. At around seven, she started packing clothes and all those necessities one needs when they are going on a long trip.

"Toothbrush, check! Hairbrush, check! Socks, check! Underwear, check!..." Selphie checked off various things on a list she had made earlier as she tossed them into two large duffle bags. For a moment she wondered what she would do about Squall, but she shrugged and decided to wing it. By the time she was done packing, one hour had passed. She stood in the center of her dorm, two large bags at her feet.

She mentally rechecked everything in her head before leaving her dorm for Squall's. Selphie knew she was two hours early, but she figured he wouldn't mind. She speedwalked over to dorm #172A, and she knocked on the door. The door clicked and slid open. Squall was standing there, half naked and very groggy.

"Selphie?" Squall turned around to look at his digital clock. "It's 8:03. You said 10-"

"It's always good to be early," Selphie explained, pushing Squall aside and entering his dorm. She flipped the lights on. "Wow, your dorm is a real mess." It really was. Dirty socks were everywhere and several stacks of clothes, dirty or clean, were scattered throughout the dorm. Stacks of paper buried his desk and chewed up pens were thrown here and there.

"Yeah, sure," Squall replied. He rubbed his eyes and fell back onto his bed. He attempted to curl up underneath his covers but Selphie grabbed his wrist and dragged him off. He landed on the floor with a loud _thud!_

"I didn't know you were such a grouchy sleeper...Heeey! I've got an idea!" Selphie proclaimed.

Squall groaned, "Oh, no..."

"Why don't you go eat breakfast at the cafeteria, and I'll clean up your dorm for you," Selphie suggested, "What this place really needs is a woman's touch. Shoo!" She waved him away.

"Can I get dressed first?" Squall asked angrily. He stood up and glared at Selphie for waking him up. He went to his closet and took out a white shirt and a fresh pair of leather pants. He walked into his bathroom, grumbling.

Selphie giggled. _I'm definitely going to have to get him a new wardrobe._ He emerged a few seconds later, looking refreshed and not so groggy. With a small wave, he left his dorm.

"Wow. I can't believe he just left me in his dorm," Selphie laughed, going into his closet. She searched around the floor for a bag of some sort. She spotted a black duffle bag beneath his Lionheart case. She pulled it out and put it on his bed. Selphie went into his bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush. She saw his razor and giggled.

"Yeah, like _Squall_ really needs one!" She decided to take it just in case. She grabbed shampoo and soap from the shower, and then Selphie hit his closet again. Everything was black. His SeeD uniform was the most colorful thing in there, and the many plain white T-shirts didn't count. She pulled a bunch of clothes off hangers and put shoved them into the bag. She sat on his bed, satisfied with her work.

"Now to start _cleaning_..." Selphie sighed. She set about straightening up the desk and then the floor. Within a few minutes, you could see the floor and the top of the desk was finally visible. She made the bed and put dirty clothes into a basket. Some of it smelled terrible, and Selphie suspected that a certain pair of socks was growing things in it. By the time Squall returned, his room was in considerably better shape.

"Thanks," Squall said when he entered his room. He was stunned. You would be, too, if you hadn't seen the floor of your room in months. "Thanks a lot."

Suddenly, Selphie gasped. She picked the bag up off his bed and thrust it at him. "RUN!" she shouted. Squall caught the bag and felt himself being pulled by his wrist. Selphie dragged him out of his dorm and beckoned for him to follow her.

"Selphie, what's going on?" Squall shouted to her as he ran after her down the hall. He slung the bag over his shoulder.

"No time to explain! Hurry!" Sephie ordered. She stopped at her dorm, opened it up, went in and emerged with two more bags. She pushed one of her bags into Squall's arms. "Take this! Let's go!" Squall stuck the other heavy bag beneath his arm and ran after. They sped to the Parking Lot and Selphie rushed to the box that housed the keys to the various cars. She punched in her SeeD ID on the keypad and the door to the box opened. She picked a key and gestured for Squall to follow her. She quickly led him to a yellow car.

"Get in! Quick! They're coming!" Selphie ordered hurriedly. Squall attempted to look and see _who_ was coming, but Selphie pushed his head into the car. She hopped into the driver's seat after him and started the car. She reversed out of the space and took them out of Balamb at a very high speed.

"Selphie, what's going on?" Squall demanded for a second time. 

Selphie looked at him solemnly. "Squall, someone is after me. I didn't want to tell anyone what I suspected, but..."

"What?" Squall asked, looking hard at Selphie. "Who?"

"I don't know. Ever since I transfered here, someone has been...*choke*...following- HAHAHAHA!" Selphie burst out laughing. She began to bang on the steering wheel. Finally she had to stop the car so she could finish her fit of laughing. When she did Squall was galring at her.

Squall said, "It was a joke?"

"Yep! What a rush." Squall glared. "Oh come on! It was _fun_! You didn't really think someone was after us, did you?" When Squall crossed his arms and looked away, she laughed harder, banging on the steering wheel. "Hey, you could consider it a drill or something. Method of escape: _running_!"

"Take me back," Squall said firmly, "Now."

Selphie looked shocked. "What?! You're kidding me, right?"

"No. Take me back to Garden."

Selphie thought. She turned the car back on. She began a U-turn, but instead she just turned the car in the direction of Balamb again and kept going. "You are coming with me to Balamb, wether you like it or _not_! It will be fun, I promise."

Squall sighed and leaned back. He closed his eyes. He knew that no matter what he did, he was going to Balamb. Selphie would make sure of it.

Selphie turned on the radio. Her favorite song, Hella Good, by her favorite band, _Eden Harlots_, was on.

"The waves keep on crashin' on me for some reason! But your love keeps on coming like a thunder bolt! Come heeere a little closer! Cause' I wanna see you baby real close up. You got me feelin' hella good so let's just keep on dancing! You want me like you should, so I'm gonna keep on dancing!" Selphie sang enthusiastically. Squall groaned. "Sing with me, Squall!"

"A performance deserving a standing ovation!" she continued, "And who would've thought it'd be the two of us? So don't wake me if I'm dreaming! 'Cause I'm in the mood come on and give it up!"

Squall watched Selphie as she jammed out to the song. It was very amusing. Before he knew it, he was tapping his foot and bobbing his head ever so slightly...

_Damn Selphie for being so charismatic_.

== END CHAPTER 3: ESCAPE ==

ROAD TRIP!!!!!! J/k j/k. I hope you like it. Review! SORRY FOR BEING SO SHORT.

**IMPORTANT:** I did something very stupid and got myself grounded for it. One week, so regular updates start up again on Monday, April 29th. I've been waiting all week for a moment when I'm home alone so I could post. I've been writing chapters in my notebook, but I've had to type them in secret, LoL. Thanks for being patient with 

Oh yeah! The song Selphie is singing is in fact "Hella Good" by one of _my_ favorite bands, No Doubt. 


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